The first thing we have to address about Flower Beauty's Color Play Creme Eyeshadow is the claim on the brand's website that this formula contains vitamin E for antioxidant protection. The truth is that while this shadow does contain a small amount of vitamin E, the fact that it's packaged in a clear jar means that any antioxidant benefit will start to diminish the instant you open it up (antioxidants don't play well when repeatedly exposed to light and air). Ignore those claims and just appreciate this for what it is: an excellent cream eyeshadow!

Color Play has a remarkably light texture that's somewhere between a cream and a mousse, which makes it incredibly easy to smooth across eyelids and blend. The texture remains pliable enough to create the eye design you want, but isn't so moveable that it slides all over the place when you're done. It dries down to a soft powder finish that doesn't budge once it's set.

These shadows don't crease or fade throughout the day - even a long day - and they don't flake under your eyes, either. Confession time: One of our team members accidentally fell asleep with Color Play on her lids one evening (which we most certainly do not recommend, as sleeping in eye makeup is a great way to wake up with puffy, red eyes!), but the next morning when she got up, it was still in place, right where she had put it the night before - a good indication as to this shadow's staying power!

All of these shadows have a metallic finish, so if that doesn't interest you, these aren't the eyeshadows to focus on. Otherwise, these are cream shadows done well, and for a great price, too!

Pros:

Cream/mousse texture is easy to apply and blend on eyelids.

Dries to a soft powder finish that doesn't budge.

Doesn't crease or fade throughout the day.

Cons:

Claims of antioxidant benefits from this shadow are exaggerated and, in reality, not possible given the jar packaging.

Cream eyeshadows are tricky to apply, so be patient until you get it right.

Community Reviews

Brand Overview

Strengths: Most products are either minimally fragranced or fragrance-free; some excellent lip products; very good liquid eyeliners; good and long-lasting blushes and powder products; affordable.

Weaknesses: The majority of foundations are mediocre; no products offering SPF; exaggerated anti-aging claims with one foundation and one concealer; a lipliner that tugs on lips; some so-so 2-in-1 products; a lack of foundations for oily skin.

Regardless of how much technology has advanced or how much cosmetics formulas have improved, for many it’s still the allure of a celebrity name behind a beauty brand that’s the draw, not anything else. That’s the hook for Flower Beauty, backed by Hollywood doyenne Drew Barrymore.

Barrymore’s is a story many of us saw played out in the media. She was famous early on as a child actress (her first job was when she was just 11 months old), became a superstar thanks to Steven Spielberg’s film E.T, then succumbed to drug addiction and went through rehab at the tender age of 14. After successful treatment, she returned to acting, working steadily in both independent projects and blockbuster films. She gained a reputation as a largely good-natured, girl-next-door actress with a “flower child” free spirit persona, and she still comes across that way in interviews. In the mid-1990s, she formed her own production company, Flower Films, and has gone on to both direct and produce movies while still acting.

Barrymore’s commercial appeal didn’t go unnoticed by cosmetics companies, and in 2007 she became a brand ambassador for the makeup brand CoverGirl, appearing in both print and television ads that she helped create. After five successful years as one of the faces of CoverGirl, Barrymore parted ways with the brand to create Flower Beauty, a Wal-Mart-exclusive line that competes directly with CoverGirl, which is also sold at Wal-Mart. Flower Beauty makeup is manufactured by Maesa, a company that also produces the Benefit Cosmetics skincare line and Saks Fifth Avenue’s in-house cosmetics.

Clicking around on Flower Beauty’s site, you won’t see much about exactly why Barrymore chose this particular endeavor, save that she wanted to offer people high-end quality makeup at drugstore prices. That’s not really much of a reason, however, as many drugstore lines already offer department store-quality cosmetics, although “department store quality” isn’t much of a guideline, given that there are plenty of department store brands that aren’t as good as their drugstore counterparts!

The Flower Beauty brand’s strong suit is definitely its lip products, most of which pack a potent color punch and feel great. There are some beautiful matte options, as well as a great gloss and some moisturizing colored lip balms.

Most of the mascaras perform well and don’t clump or flake, and their powder products (blush, eyeshadow, and foundation) are good across the board. The liquid liners are also excellent, offering fine-point tips for precision lining with no-smudge wear. We’re also happy to say that even for this brand, with the name Flower, most of the products are either fragrance-free or contain minimal fragrance.

On the other hand, just like not all of Barrymore’s films have been crowd-pleasers, her makeup line also has some missteps, the biggest being that the majority of the foundations aren’t impressive. Though both a tinted moisturizer and a BB cream are part of Flower’s offerings, neither has the SPF or antioxidants that have become the selling points for such multi-tasking products. Some of the foundations are difficult to blend, while others tend to draw attention to lines on the face, and we didn’t find viable options for those with oily skin. There’s also the issue that a couple of the products are touted on the website for their anti-aging benefits, but Flower’s products contain only small amounts of the beneficial ingredients that would make them a wise choice for anti-aging benefits, especially in comparison to the amounts in other products we rate highly.

Flower also offers some 2-in-1 combo products that could add convenience to your makeup routine, but in many cases, such as the combo eyeliner and mascara or the eyeliner and eyeshadow duo, one of the products performs well, while the other is lackluster, which means even though the prices are reasonable, you’re not getting your money’s worth.

As a whole, though, Flower Beauty has a lot of strong suits, and it’s definitely worth considering if you’re in the market for lower-cost makeup products that offer solid performance.

The Beautypedia and Paula’s Choice Research teams have one mission: To help you find the best products for your skin, whether they’re from Paula’s Choice or another brand. By combining efforts, we’re able to share scientific research and remain committed to the highest standards based on our decades of experience objectively reviewing thousands upon thousands of skincare and makeup formularies in all price ranges.

Beautypedia cuts through the hype to bring you product insights and recommendations you won’t find anywhere else!

Buy It now

Strengths: Most products are either minimally fragranced or fragrance-free; some excellent lip products; very good liquid eyeliners; good and long-lasting blushes and powder products; affordable.

Weaknesses: The majority of foundations are mediocre; no products offering SPF; exaggerated anti-aging claims with one foundation and one concealer; a lipliner that tugs on lips; some so-so 2-in-1 products; a lack of foundations for oily skin.

Regardless of how much technology has advanced or how much cosmetics formulas have improved, for many it’s still the allure of a celebrity name behind a beauty brand that’s the draw, not anything else. That’s the hook for Flower Beauty, backed by Hollywood doyenne Drew Barrymore.

Barrymore’s is a story many of us saw played out in the media. She was famous early on as a child actress (her first job was when she was just 11 months old), became a superstar thanks to Steven Spielberg’s film E.T, then succumbed to drug addiction and went through rehab at the tender age of 14. After successful treatment, she returned to acting, working steadily in both independent projects and blockbuster films. She gained a reputation as a largely good-natured, girl-next-door actress with a “flower child” free spirit persona, and she still comes across that way in interviews. In the mid-1990s, she formed her own production company, Flower Films, and has gone on to both direct and produce movies while still acting.

Barrymore’s commercial appeal didn’t go unnoticed by cosmetics companies, and in 2007 she became a brand ambassador for the makeup brand CoverGirl, appearing in both print and television ads that she helped create. After five successful years as one of the faces of CoverGirl, Barrymore parted ways with the brand to create Flower Beauty, a Wal-Mart-exclusive line that competes directly with CoverGirl, which is also sold at Wal-Mart. Flower Beauty makeup is manufactured by Maesa, a company that also produces the Benefit Cosmetics skincare line and Saks Fifth Avenue’s in-house cosmetics.

Clicking around on Flower Beauty’s site, you won’t see much about exactly why Barrymore chose this particular endeavor, save that she wanted to offer people high-end quality makeup at drugstore prices. That’s not really much of a reason, however, as many drugstore lines already offer department store-quality cosmetics, although “department store quality” isn’t much of a guideline, given that there are plenty of department store brands that aren’t as good as their drugstore counterparts!

The Flower Beauty brand’s strong suit is definitely its lip products, most of which pack a potent color punch and feel great. There are some beautiful matte options, as well as a great gloss and some moisturizing colored lip balms.

Most of the mascaras perform well and don’t clump or flake, and their powder products (blush, eyeshadow, and foundation) are good across the board. The liquid liners are also excellent, offering fine-point tips for precision lining with no-smudge wear. We’re also happy to say that even for this brand, with the name Flower, most of the products are either fragrance-free or contain minimal fragrance.

On the other hand, just like not all of Barrymore’s films have been crowd-pleasers, her makeup line also has some missteps, the biggest being that the majority of the foundations aren’t impressive. Though both a tinted moisturizer and a BB cream are part of Flower’s offerings, neither has the SPF or antioxidants that have become the selling points for such multi-tasking products. Some of the foundations are difficult to blend, while others tend to draw attention to lines on the face, and we didn’t find viable options for those with oily skin. There’s also the issue that a couple of the products are touted on the website for their anti-aging benefits, but Flower’s products contain only small amounts of the beneficial ingredients that would make them a wise choice for anti-aging benefits, especially in comparison to the amounts in other products we rate highly.

Flower also offers some 2-in-1 combo products that could add convenience to your makeup routine, but in many cases, such as the combo eyeliner and mascara or the eyeliner and eyeshadow duo, one of the products performs well, while the other is lackluster, which means even though the prices are reasonable, you’re not getting your money’s worth.

As a whole, though, Flower Beauty has a lot of strong suits, and it’s definitely worth considering if you’re in the market for lower-cost makeup products that offer solid performance.

AUSTRALIA

EUROPE

NORTH AMERICA

Paula’s Choice Auto Delivery is a quick and convenient way to make sure you never run out of your favorite products again. Just select the products you can’t live without, choose how often you’d like them delivered and we’ll take care of the rest.